Happy 24th birthday, Michael Cera! ("The End of the Wordl")

Happy 24th birthday, Michael Cera!



Michael Cera impaled by a street light A stunt scene in the Seth Rogen film The End of the World where Michael Cera gets it!

Rihanna, Paul Rudd, James Franco, Jonah Hill and Emma Watson) play themselves on the set of Seth Rogen's new film "The End of the World" in New Orleans, Louisiana on May 31, 2012.

The End of the World, which marks the directorial debut of Superbad screenwriting team Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, may have one of the biggest casts in the history of comedies. A throw-back to the star-studded disaster films of the late 60s, early 70s, like It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and Airport, The End of the World follows the aftermath of an apocalyptic event that happens while a number of famous guests attend a party thrown by James Franco. Among the recognizable faces at this soiree are Jonah Hill, Emma Watson, Martin Starr, and director/writer Seth Rogen Source: www.movieweb.com

"God Bless America" DVD/Blu-ray Bonus Features

Bobcat Goldthwait, as a writer and director, illustrates a sharp mind, keen debating skills and an actual wit that makes the occasionally gory God Bless America never unpleasant to watch.

Following his divorce, Frank (Joel Murray) is forced to live in an apartment in Syracuse, New York, with paper-thin walls through which he can hear his neighbors’ baby crying and their inane conversations. He fantasizes about breaking into their apartment, shooting the obnoxious man who blocks his car in each morning and blowing away their screaming baby. The day he is fired from his job at the insurance company because a secretary he befriended took his friendly gesture the wrong way, Frank finds himself truly distraught. Frank is diagnosed with a fatal brain tumor and wants nothing more than to reconnect with his daughter.

God Bless America is a black comedy, a satire, that is both very funny and a sharp expose on what is wrong in United States culture. What is truly genius about the film is that it manages to accomplish all that it does without ever oversimplifying the problems and characters or becoming the very thing it rails against. For the first aspect, God Bless America is rich in way it looks at all aspects of American culture. Writer and director Bobcat Goldthwait calls out reality television, hate-mongering Conservative media, and – perhaps too briefly – religious hypocrisy whereby those supposedly believing in love and forgiveness rage with the most venom.

What also truly works is that Frank and Roxy use their sudden empowerment and guns with a sense of real restraint and some people they encounter it respond positively. Following the pair shooting four people in a movie theater, the one person they did not kill in the screening tells the news that the killers just wanted people to stop talking, texting and being rude while watching the film. So, while the media still has the problem of trying to attribute a ridiculous motive – violence in the movie on the Vietnam war and the effects of war that was playing where the murders occurred – some people (like the audience) clearly get what is going on in Frank’s head and can actually appreciate what he and Roxy are doing.

Frank is engaging, both from his daydreams of killing to his simple, generally cheerful demeanor. It is clear Frank wants to be happy, he just finds himself trapped in a world very much outside his control. He does something nice and thoughtful – sending a coworker flowers because she is complaining she is having a bad day – and he gets fired. He is diagnosed with a brain tumor by a doctor who does not actually care or empathize with him. Frank, ultimately, gets outraged because the youth of the nation come together to ridicule Steve Clark, an American Superstarz applicant whose audition suggests that he is mentally retarded and launches him into superstardom much like William Hung enjoyed.

And Frank is, believe it or not, deeply moral. He does not want to kill just anyone, he just wants people to be nicer to one another. He establishes firm boundaries with Roxy and refuses to objectify her and goes out of his way to avoid physical contact with her. But even when such things change and evolve over the course of God Bless America, Bobcat Goldthwaith is smart enough to keep Frank morally absolute in several important ways. So, after much of the movie where Frank is clearly uncomfortable by the proximity of Roxy, he finally allows her to touch him. With his migraine headaches getting worse and worse and medicine no longer having any effect, Frank lets Roxy rub the pressure point on his hand that, surprisingly enough, helps relieve the pain.

Early on in God Bless America, Frank complains about how children are fetishized and viewed in a sexual manner and how he is not a pedophile and how gross he finds that practice. It might seem like Frank is boxed in, that Bobcat Goldthwait has created an absolutist protagonist who has nowhere he can truly develop . . . unless he goes in the predictable direction which would ultimately make him into the thing he hates. But Goldthwait manages to find a new direction, one that allows Frank to develop without ever betraying his core beliefs, Roxy, or the audience.

And for as much credit as Goldthwait deserves for the writing and directing, it is Joel Murray who ultimately lands it. Murray does it with his final line to Roxy and it is what seals the movie as truly, undeniably, great. Joel Murray is such a fabulous actor in God Bless America that I had no idea he was the same performer who played the buffoon sidekick to Greg on Dharma And Greg. He is so divorced from the goofy, idiotic character that is arguably what he is best known for that he completely redefines himself in God Bless America.

And when he says the final line his character speaks to Roxy, he delivers it in such a way that through the sheer force of his eyes and the way he performs the simple line that he is saying it to her in a parental way, not a romantic one. Joel Murray takes a line that, on the page, could be interpreted many different ways and makes it conform to the character of Frank to deliver as one of the most loving, parental-type lines in all of cinema in a way that cannot be denied or misconstrued as creepy or romantic and it is Murray who absolutely lands the film.

To get Murray, Frank and God Bless America where they are going would not have been possible without Tara Lynne Barr. Barr defies the old adage about not working with children or animals in film as she appears on screen as both a disturbingly mature sixteen year-old and a frighteningly childish girl with enthusiasm and anger. Barr sells the role completely by eagerly delivering some of the movie’s most disturbing lines and also playing Roxy as genuinely outside the social norms. When her character lies, the audience believes her as much as Frank does.

She plays vulnerable, without ever being kittenish and in one of the film’s most subtle commentaries, Barr as Roxy responds to Frank’s setting boundaries, which is what most of the film’s antagonists lack, making them into horrible people. Source: wlswarts.blogspot.com.es

Joel Murray, who is so fine as Freddie Rumson on TV’s Mad Men, stars in the over-the-top independent dark comedy film God Bless America, written and directed for maximum scathing impact by bizarro comedian/filmmaker Bobcat Goldthwait (World’s Greatest Dad).

"God Bless America"
Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: July 3, 2012
Studio:Magnolia

Bonus features on the discs include the following:


audio commentary
deleted scenes
outtakes
featurette
interviews with cast and crew
music video

Source: www.discdish.com

"Mad Men" ("Pack of Cigarettes") video

Jessica Paré and Jon Hamm as Megan and Don Draper in "Mad Men"

Christina Hendricks as Joan Harris in "The Other Woman" episode of "Mad Men"

Joel Murray as Freddy Rumsen in the "Six Month Leave" episode of "Mad Men"

Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson leaving the agency in "The Other Woman" episode of "Mad Men"

Lane Pryce (played by Jared Harris) commits suicide in the "Commissions and Fees" episode of "Mad Men"


Mad Men - Pack of Cigarettes (musical video) featuring some stills of the cast from "Mad Men": Jon Hamm, January Jones, John Slattery, Christina Hendricks, Elisabeth Moss, Jared Harris, Jessica Paré, Joel Murray, Vincent Kartheiser, Alison Brie, Robert Morse, Maggie Siff, etc.

Soundtrack: "Jukebox Jive" by The Rubettes and "Hole in my pack of cigarettes" by Ruby Ann & the Boppin' Boozers


Soundtrack: "You're a Heartbreaker" by Elvis Presley, "Baby Be Mine" by The Jelly Beans, "Sugar Sugar" by The Archies and "Baby I Love You" by The Ronettes

Paulette Goddard, and the femme-fatales of yesteryear and today

Happy Anniversary, Paulette Goddard! Born Pauline Marion Goddard Levy on June 3, 1910 in Whitestone Landing, Long Island, New York, Died: April 23, 1990 in Ronco, Switzerland

"Leave yourself alone as much as possible. Don't worry. I never do. I'm too busy remembering things" -Paulette Goddard

Pauline Marion Goddard Levy was born in Whitestone Landing, New York, on 3 June 1910. She was a beautiful child who began to model for local department stores before she made her debut with Florenz Ziegfeld's Follies at the age of 13. For three years, she astounded audiences with her talent. It wasn't until 1936 that Paulette would again appear in a motion picture, in Modern Times (1936). Once again she found herself with a bit part. Finally, after ten years, she gained a decent part in George Cukor's The Women (1939), and Paulette thought that maybe her career was finally taking off. In her next film, she played Joyce Norman in The Cat and The Canary (1939), which was intended to be a send-off vehicle for Bob Hope. It not only did that, but it also established Paulette as a genuine star.

Her performance won her a ten-year contract with Paramount Studios, which was one of the premier studios of the day.

Paulette Godard teamed up with the great Fred Astaire in the acclaimed musical "Second Chorus" (1940) directed by H.C. Potter.

Paulette Goddard photographed by Clarence Sinclair Bull, 1932.

where are the femmes fatales of yesteryear? One thinks of pesky Paulette Goddard who married four times, thrice to famous men: Charlie Chaplin, Burgess Meredith, and Erich Maria Remarque.

Or Rita Hayworth who wed Orson Welles, Dick Haymes and Prince Aly Khan. Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Keira Knightley in a sophisticated femme-fatale pose for "Interview Magazine" (photoshoot - April 2012)

After years of speculation, possible false starts, casting rumours and constant questions for Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller, Sin City 2 - officially now known as Frank Miller’s Sin City: A Dame To Kill For - finally solidified last month with a for-real-this-time-no-take-backs announcement from its co-directors. With Cannes in full swing, The Weinstein Company has taken the chance to announce the movie’s planned US (and possibly worldwide) release date and confirm that Jessica Alba and Mickey Rourke will return.

Jaime King as Goldie/Wendy in a scene from "Sin City" (2005)

With a script by Rodriguez and The Departed’s William Monahan, the Sin City sequel will start shooting later this summer at RR’s Troublemaker Studios in Texas, and will emerge into the wild on October 4 next year. Source: www.empireonline.com

Christopher Nolan Explains What Makes Catwoman a Femme Fatale in 'Dark Knight Rises': The English filmmaker branded the female character a "very iconic figure in the Batman pantheon", but revealed she will not be referred by the name in the forthcoming movie. He said, "I was nervous about how she would fit into our world. But Jonah [Nolan] was very much convinced that there would be a great way to do it and eventually turned me around."

The director went on sharing that he eventually decided to present the character as a dangerous lady in his movie. "Once I got my head around the idea of looking at that character through the prism of our films, saying, 'Who could that person be in real-life?', we figured it out. She's a bit of a con-woman, something of a grifter. A hard-edged kind of criminal." Source: www.aceshowbiz.com

"Donnie Darko" & "God Bless America" (Darko Entertainment)

Jake Gyllenhaal in "Donnie Darko" (2001) directed by Richard Kelly

"After the roaring success of its inaugural weekend last summer, Pop Up Screens is finally back with a fantastic line up of outdoor, open-air weekend screenings throughout the summer around London... where Bishop’s Park sees a trilogy of modern movies. Friday sees the interesting if confused Scott Pilgrim fighting through the seven evil exes of the object of his affections. Saturday things get violent with David Fincher’s Fight Club, before Sunday gets weird and wonderful with Donnie Darko. This is one that I can’t wait to experience outdoors. Darko captures a sense of time and place and creates a tone and atmosphere like few other movies manage." Source: whatculture.com

Jake Gyllenhaal (wearing a grey hoodie in "Donnie Darko" fashion) filming "An Enemy" (On Set in Toronto, May 31, 2012)

Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone and director Richard Kelly on the set of "Donnie Darko" (2001)

Donnie Darko's director Richard Kelly has planned to start filming in Corpus Christi and Austin this summer for the aptly-titled movie Corpus Christi, according to Joe M. Connell's blog. The movie is about a mentally unstable Iraq War veteran who becomes friends with his boss and politcially ambitious supermarket chain owner. Variety reported that Edgar Ramirez (Carlos) is set to star in the movie, financed by Robert Rodriguez's Quick Draw Productions. Source: www.slackerwood.com

Donnie (Jake Gyllenhaal), Gretchen (Jena Malone) at the cinema with Frank in "Donnie Darko" (2001)

Roxy (Tara Lynne Barr) and Frank (Joel Murray) at the cinema in "God Bless America" (2011)

Starring Joel Murray and Tara Lynne Barr, GOD BLESS AMERICA is a Darko Entertainment production written and directed by Bobcat Goldthwait, and produced by Sean McKittrick and Jeff Culotta. GOD BLESS AMERICA is the second collaboration between Goldthwait, Darko and Magnolia/Magnet, who released "World’s Greatest Dad" in 2009 (official press release for Magnet’s acquisition of "God Bless America").

Producer Richard Kelly and writer/director Bobcat Goldthwait at the "World's Greatest Dad" premiere during the 11th annual CineVegas film festival on June 14, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Bob Goldthwait Holds Mirror to American Society in "God Bless America":

"Frank is Goldthwait’s darkest thoughts manifested. He even incorporates parts of his stand-up routine into the dialogue, such as a desire to rig telephones so every time someone voted on ‘American Idol Superstarz’, a mark would be burned into the side of their face and he would know who to avoid talking to." Source: whatculture.com

Tara Lynne Barr as Alice in "Wonderland" on stage (2010)

If you follow the parallel-universe theme but do not like the religious reading, you might see Frank as simply analogous to the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. The White Rabbit had some scheduling concerns ("I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date") and led Alice down to a bizarre alternative world. Like the White Rabbit, Frank is under time constraints, having only 28 days to get Donnie with the program. And when he first leads Donnie out to the local golf course, scene of Donnie's first vision of him, one could say that Frank has inserted Donnie into the spiral of a new time/space dimension, just as the White Rabbit did for (to) Alice. In short, rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland is wormhole in Donnie Darko, and both access a new reality.

Frank The Rabbit: What does the rabbit mean? That depends on how you interpret the movie. If you think that the film is a serious exploration of physical/metaphysical reality, you're apt to see Frank as a kind of rabbit-angel. His role is to guide a reluctant hero into becoming the instrument of God. In this reading, God wishes to save earth, and unfortunately (or not) this entails getting Donnie to commit criminal and destructive acts. Within this context, Frank's ugliness might be explained as the destructive side of salvation. Perhaps he is a monstrous rabbit in order to suggest that Donnie himself must become both prey/victim and a kind of spiritual predator.

If you're inclined to see Donnie as just a very disturbed teenager, then Frank is a tad more malicious. He embodies the dark, destructive side of Donnie, imagined as the flip side of the rabbit stereotype: ugly instead of cute, bizarre instead of familiar, destructive instead of reproductive, and so on. In this reading, Frank stands not just for the evil side in Donnie but in all of us. Source: www.rabbit.org